Here is another roundup of some of the most thought-provoking reader comments of the week. Comments are selected by our editors and subject to editing for grammar, spelling, clarity and length.
Click on each topic’s headline to see the article in question.
Supervisors Scold Grand Jury and Reject Ethics Committee
The county contracting the Fair Political Practices Commission is a failed notion right out of the gate. Money being paid to the FPPC by the county to act as a watchdog over county operations creates an inherent conflict of interest. The end product would be just another internal auditor, performance auditor or Office of Independent Review (OIR) — all lapdogs that roll over or bark according to instructions from their masters.
So let’s not try another sleight of hand to fool the OC citizens. Those who are paying attention see the flawed product that these lapdog agencies produce.
And it’s not just what they do, it’s what they don’t do, and that is what the citizens are missing here. The OIR — worthless. A multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Department for bad behavior goes unexamined. Yet a big deal is made out of some cop involved in a domestic dispute with his wife. Pull the other one too. It’s an insult to feed us this malarkey and expect us to swallow it.
An independent commission, if one were to be created, should comprise ordinary, average OC citizens. When they start appointing attorneys and former white-shoes boys at big salaries, the fix is in. Notice that the grand jury is the only body made up of ordinary citizens, and it is by far the most productive and most transparent of all the so-called watchdog organizations.
When they first formed the OIR, people demanded it consist of ordinary citizens. But the Gang of Five fought that tooth and nail and gave a host of bogus reasons why it wouldn’t work. And look what the OIR gives us today: more complicit behavior.
So don’t let them hoodwink you, folks. They’ll do it over and over and over and over again until you demand that they stop.
Take back your government from these clowns.
— Beelzebub
Rejection of every report issued by the grand jury clearly demonstrates that the supervisors are not only clueless but hopelessly arrogant in their belief that ethical and acceptable behavior does not apply to them.
— Roslyn
This is starting to sound very shady. When this is investigated and if the facts show that illegal, corrupt behavior, actions or kickbacks have occurred, well, I am just going to be sick.
What has happened to our great county? Investigation after investigation, scandal after scandal. The Board of Supervisors is in full combat mode against anyone who questions what they have done or are doing.
And it is now out of control. I am almost afraid to read the Voice of OC and find out what mess is up next for exposure.
What bothers me the most is how the board has lashed out at the grand jury and anyone else who attempts to help them understand where there are serious issues they must manage. Rather than calmly and in a reasonable way discuss, explain and explore potential for change, the response has been almost hateful.
I am so ashamed of the Board of Supervisors. I am proud of each and every member of the grand jury, because they have provided a true public service.
— Insider2
I can only hope that voters remember how childish all five of these supervisors acted come the next election. As a lifelong Republican, I am embarrassed at their disdain for anyone who dares to criticize them. Servant leadership at its finest indeed.
— Smith2
I watched this [Board of Supervisors meeting], and it was somewhat amusing. Once their tirades were all done, I found myself getting quite perturbed at the arrogance and retaliatory tone they displayed toward the grand jury (though they all denied this).
[Supervisor John] Moorlach almost started crying, because he has given up so much personal sacrifice over the last 18 years, such as a cut in pay and not being able to do much hiking with his family, only now to find out he’s under investigation. These were the choices you made, Mr. Moorlach. Deal with it and quit complaining and go back into the private sector.
[Supervisor Janet] Nguyen complained that she doesn’t get paid to sit on the various boards like CalOptima and the Orange County Transportation Authority, yet she makes almost $200,000 for being on the Board of Supervisors, and most of these meetings take place during normal business hours. This comment was a slap in the face to OC tax payers.
And one of my favorites was Chairman [Shawn] Nelson saying how he volunteers to coach youth football with no stipend. Chairman Nelson, I wouldn’t call it a stipend. I would call it ripping off the tax payers when you leave your county building at 1 in the afternoon for the rest of the day so you can teach kids how to hike a football while receiving nearly $200,000 in salary while most county employes clock out at 5 p.m.
Getting madder by the minute on their poor display of thuggery and self-interest.
— Cacityguy
Anaheim Streetcar’s Price Tag
One hundred million dollars per mile? What, are they paving the tracks with gold?
Just hand out free bus passes. It will be cheaper.
And let’s not talk about cost overruns that would make $320 million look cheap when all is said and done.
— Smith2